Indonesia dominates live cattle shipments
11/07/2007
Australian live cattle shipments during May reached 58,430 head – the highest monthly total since October last year, but back 21% on May 2006 (Australian Bureau of Statistics). The result for the month was relatively strong, despite the decline on 2006, with Indonesia again the dominate destination for Australian cattle. Shipments to Indonesia for May totalled 46,830 head, the highest monthly total since May 2006 (52,548 head) and the ninth highest on record. Recent investment in Indonesian feedlots to meet rising consumer demand for beef, has resulted in increased demand for suitable Australian cattle. During the first five months of 2007 Australian live cattle shipments to Indonesia have increased 19% on 2006 levels, to 162,714 head – the third highest start to a year behind 1997 and 2003. Australian cattle exports to Indonesia were reportedly still strong in June, with a significant increase in the number of cattle leaving Darwin during the month. During May, Australian cattle were also shipped to Mexico (2,959 head), the Philippines (2,750 head), Saudi Arabia (1,870 head) and Japan (1,830 head). Exports to Japan for the first five months of the year have increased 11%, to 11,641 head. Smaller shipments were also recorded to Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, Kuwait and the Russian Federation.
|